Queer Couple Named Prom Queens at Catholic School Where LGBTQ+ Teachers Once Fired; And More News

The following are some items that may be of interest:

1. A queer couple was chosen to be prom queens by students at Kennedy Catholic High School, Burien, Washington, where just a few years ago several employees said they were forced to resign for being LGBTQ+. The couple, Marilyn and Paton, were idenitfied only by their first names. Marilyn told King 5 that “everyone kind of realized how monumental” the choice of this couple would be. Yet, she also said there was “a lot of uncertainty” given that two teachers were forced to resign in 2020 because of their same-gender relationships. The firings led to student protests. According to King 5:

“‘We had sit-ins and walk-outs, we drove and protested up in Seattle,’ the couple said, finishing each other’s sentences. ‘It was great to see the community really stand up for what we believed was right.’

“The couple believes their classmates, remembering that contentious time, helped get them nominated and ultimately, crowned prom queens.

“‘I think the student body was able to show how they felt through voting for us,’ Marilyn said. ‘Once they said our names, it was just really cool to hear everyone cheer and feel that unwavering support. It definitely felt like a full-circle moment. It felt like we were making history.’

“‘A few people came up to us after. They were crying and said “Oh my gosh, we did it,”‘ Payton said.”

2. Fontbonne Academy, Milton, Massachusetts, which a decade ago rescinded the contract of a gay employee because of his marital status, now featured a married lesbian alumna, Andi Lyons, as its commencement speaker this year. Lyons was chosen by her peers in the Class of 1973, following a Fontbonne tradition that the 50th reunion class chooses the speaker for the latest graduates. Lyons offered some advice to the class of 2023:

“‘Your generation still has much more work to do because the truth is, there will always be people who will hate you simply for what you look like, where you come from, or who you love. So I will offer the best advice I have to give you from my own experience, and that is simply to meet people where they are with as much wisdom, grace and humanity as you can summon.'”

3. Pope Francis sent a short note to greet participants at the Outreach conference happening this weekend in New York City, which is a project on LGBTQ+ ministry by Fr. James Martin, SJ, and America Media. According to the National Catholic Reporter, “Pope Francis asks [Martin] to send his ‘best regards’ to the participants of the meeting.” The letter comes, NCR noted, “after a range of right-wing social media influencers have expressed outrage at the event,” including a nearly-100,0000-signature petition seeking its cancellation.

4. The Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, and its Catholic schools withdrew from a charity event, Give to Lincoln Day, in May because participating groups needed to affirm a policy that they do not discriminate in employment based on sexual orientation. Bishop James Conley said the event, therefore, fails to “align with the tenets of the Catholic faith,” despite the fact the policy includes an exemption for religious organizations. A handful of religious organizations joined the diocese in pulling out, but more than 460+ nonprofits ended up participating—including the local St. Vincent de Paul Society and other Catholic groups outside the diocese’s direct purview.

—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, June 17, 2023